5 When Less Is More The church has long been active in feeding the hungry, but sometimes we might benefit from being hungry, to truly know the lives of the paople we serve. The point being made with the widows in the first reading and the Gospel seems on the face of it a simple one: those who have the least are often the most generous. But there is a danger here of romanticizing the poor and their poverty. If we probe a little deeper the picture becomes a bit more complex. In both cases, their acts of generosity are in some sense acts of desperation. The widow who feeds Elijah has given up; she is ready to die with her son from starvation. What does she have to lose by giving their last bit of food to this wandering prophet? Likewise, while the poor widow in the Gospel is generous in giving to the temple even in her poverty, Jesus has just earlier denounced those religious leaders who devour the houses of widow. He sees the danger of even something as holy as the temple becoming an occasion for exploiting those who ss no way out of their poverty but to bet on divine deliverence. When we recognize the desperation of those two widows, we will be less prone to romantizing their situations, while still appreciating their willingness to rely on God. We shouldn t read the Gospel s denuciation of the scribes as only applying to religious leaders in Jesus day; we should apply it to our own Church. Have we grown too comfortable? Do we devour the houses of widows by applaying on people s desperation? Or do we, like Elijah, empower them with the hope that the jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry? - Am I ever tempted to exploit another person s neediness for my own gain? How do I respond to this temptation? Lord Jesus, your love is everlasting, the oil of gladness that never runs out. Let us share your love with those most in need of it, particularly the poor and the dejected.